Chapter 519 Disappeared
[Oh my, Concubine Shu really likes to play the role of a jackal. On the surface, she doesn't fight or compete, but in fact, she sows discord and plays the game of borrowing a knife to kill people. This shows that her motherly love for the little princess is genuine.]
[When I was first granted the title, I even sold official positions behind the tyrant's back. Although it was only a one-time event, it still touched upon the tyrant's sensitive point.]
Chu Liuzheng glanced at the emperor with a gloomy face and felt that Concubine Shu was doomed.
Concubine Shu had not expected that Yi Zhen and Zhou Yuande had the ability to dig up such a deadly old story. Under the emperor's cold gaze, she was frightened and turned pale. Even though she tried her best to remain calm, her hands hidden in her sleeves trembled uncontrollably.
She struggled to speak: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I..." She had no choice.
"Drag him away." Xiao Jingfan didn't have the patience to listen to her finish. "We'll make the final decision after we verify the facts."
"Your Majesty!" Concubine Shu lunged forward, trying to grab the emperor's clothes, but Yi Zhen blocked her way and she missed.
Lady Zhu watched helplessly as Concubine Shu, who had been so confident of victory, was dragged away without any resistance. Her pearl hairpins fell off and her hair was disheveled. How could she still look noble?
In a trance, she remembered Concubine Xiao who was dragged out and beaten to death, Concubine Rong who was carried out by palace servants, and Concubine Yun who was dragged away and sent to the cold palace... Familiar faces and their endings flashed through her mind quickly. These beautiful women, just because of the word "competing for favor", withered away silently one by one in this cannibalistic harem.
Lady Zhu was suddenly startled, turned her head to meet the emperor's gaze, and shuddered uncontrollably.
She bit her tongue hard to awaken her limbs, which had become stiff with fear. She trembled and knelt on the ground, saying in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, I will take my leave."
Xiao Jingfan waved at her.
Zhu Meiren was as if pardoned. With the help of the head palace maid, she stumbled down the stairs and fled as if there was a mad dog chasing her from behind.
[Tsk, look how scared the tyrant is of him, maybe he has a psychological trauma?]
*
After Zhu Meiren returned home, she fell ill, had a high fever and started talking nonsense.
Ten days later, the matter of Concubine Shu selling official positions was found out, and the emperor issued an edict to demote her. However, considering that Concubine Shu... was now a commoner Shi Fuqiu, and had made great contributions in giving birth to the princess, the emperor pardoned her and spared her life. He sent someone to send her to Jianping Palace to reflect on her mistakes, and she was not allowed to return to Beijing for the rest of her life.
One move can affect the whole body. When something happened to Concubine Shu, the Jinyiwei traced the cause to the Duke of Yingguo.
Few noble families can withstand close scrutiny, and this investigation revealed that the Duke of Ying's family was raising private soldiers.
The emperor was furious. Within a month, the huge Duke of Ying's Mansion disappeared from the capital, and the stone steps at the entrance were stained with blood.
The emperor once again used thundering measures to prove that people should not be complacent. For a time, even the implementation of tax reforms in various places went much more smoothly.
Many officials privately complained that the emperor was too murderous and deserved the title of tyrant.
Some people also felt that the Duke of Ying was suspected of treason and should be punished, and that the emperor was showing mercy by not executing all nine generations of his clan.
There were many different opinions, but Xiao Jingfan pretended not to know. He was racking his brains over how to comfort Princess Huirong who was crying and looking for her mother. He even thought of sending Princess Huirong to reunite with Shi Fuqiu.
Chu Liuzheng stopped her. Although it was better for the child to stay with her biological mother, the Jianping Palace was poor and not suitable for a frail little princess.
The two men surrounded the little princess and tried to comfort her. The little princess cried until her voice became hoarse. Chu Liuzheng's head was buzzing because of the child's crying, so he ran away decisively, leaving the emperor alone in a panic.
In the end, the Queen Mother came personally to take the princess away and raised her in the Wanshou Palace.
In the past, Concubine Shu often took the princess to the Wanshou Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, hoping that if anything happened to her, the Empress Dowager would have more sympathy for the princess and protect her.
Now this back-up plan has really come in handy, but things and people have changed.
Without the sound of crying children, the Yangxin Palace became quiet again, and Chu Liuzheng and Xiao Jingfan both breathed a sigh of relief.
Chu Liuzheng suddenly remembered something, "Your Majesty, does our princess need to marry a foreign princess?"
[I haven't paid attention to it before, so I guess it's not necessary? ]
"When my father was alive, Xixia sent envoys to ask for the hand of my Princess Dasheng on behalf of their eldest prince. To maintain friendly relations between our two countries, my father ordered Lingyi to go to Xixia for marriage." Xiao Jingfan's expression was slightly cold. "But within three years, Lingyi passed away, leaving behind no children."
Chu Liuzheng was startled, "Princess Lingyi is..."
"The Xixia envoy said he died of illness, but according to the information I have found, Lingyi died of poison." Xiao Jingfan pursed his lips tightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Your Majesty, father didn't want Lingyi to go either, but at that time we were facing internal and external troubles. If your Majesty didn't agree, Xixia would have sent troops to Dasheng, and tens of thousands of people would have died."
"After learning of Lingyi's death, my father wanted to bring her remains back and bury her in the imperial mausoleum, allowing her soul to return to her homeland. However, Xixia refused to return her, claiming she was already married."
Chu Liuzheng was puzzled: "Why didn't you include this clause when negotiating peace with the Xixia envoys?"
[At that time, Dasheng had the upper hand. If they had just handed over the remains of a deceased princess, Xixia would have definitely agreed.]
"Gone." Xiao Jingfan lowered his head, his long eyelashes hiding the emotions in his eyes. "They didn't bury Lingyi properly, and she can't be found anymore."
Chu Liuzheng's breathing stagnated.
[Damn! No wonder they refused to hand it over, what a bunch of bastards! How much does a coffin cost? Does the Xixia royal family need this?]
[She married a princess for her country, but ended up with her body exposed in the wilderness. Damn it!]
Chu Liuzheng was so angry that she wanted to hit someone. She grabbed Xiao Jingfan's hand and squeezed it tightly, "Your Majesty, we cannot let this tragedy happen again."
[No matter what happens in other countries, at least the princess of Dasheng doesn't want to marry into a foreign alliance. So, to hell with marriages!]
"I understand." Xiao Jingfan held her hand and promised solemnly, "As long as I am on the throne, Princess Dasheng and other daughters of the royal family will not marry far away or marry into other families."
"Golden words." Chu Liuzheng said immediately, "I'll take note of it for you. You can't go back on your word."
"good."
*
In July, public opinion was overwhelming, and the voices of the former dynasty calling for Fengnu to be made empress were increasing. The emperor neither agreed nor refused, and his attitude was ambiguous.
At Maohua Palace, the Grand Tutor's wife sent someone to deliver a message, which contained only four simple words: Take care of yourself.
After hearing this, Consort Chun stood by the window for a long time, so long that Qingyi couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, what exactly does Madam mean by this?"
"It's not my mother, it's my father." Chun Zhaoyi sighed softly, her fingers gently fiddling with the orchid leaves on the windowsill. "With the Chu family as empress, their power is unstoppable."
Qingyi was shocked. "Even the master can't do anything?"
"Public opinion is overwhelming, and the emperor's will is hard to disobey." Consort Chun applied force with her fingertips, and the emerald green leaves bent downward. "Except for something unexpected happening to the Chu family, what other solution is there?"
Qingyi: "Then..."
"Shufei is a cautionary tale." Consort Chun glanced at her. "The emperor's will is clear and obvious. If you still stubbornly go against it, you'd be foolish."
Qingyi hesitated, "But... do we really want to see Chu become the queen?"
How can a peasant girl, with neither family background nor talent and virtue, be the mother of the country?
(End of this chapter)
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